Naheed Nenshi’s My Stampede Story

Growing up in Calgary, Nenshi remembers riding the midway as a boy, or losing money on the games as a teen. But he's adamant that from all those years, his best memory is from last year when, for the first time, he participated in the Stampede Parade.

"I'd watched every year, always thinking and wishing I might be in the parade some day."

His wish came true last year as mayor, when he was tasked with riding Garfield, the horse.

"This was an amazing memory I will never forget.

"Riding up on a horse, waving to all those people, and just seeing how happy everyone was, how everyone is just smiling.

"Sometimes in our busy world, we forget a really important part of being here is just to be able to make people smile."